Happy Friday y'all! Guess what that means? A new update! Hope you guys are excited for it. This will be filled with some action at last lol. Enjoy!
P.S- Picture of Mr. Reys up above.
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Chapter 6- Ashton Eaton
Pulling into school early allowed me to witness a scene I never thought I would see. I saw the history teacher of this school walking up to a very familiar car and tapping on the window and talking to the student with this disturbing look on his face.
I quietly get out of my car and step closer towards Mays's car after the teacher pulls back and walks up the stairs, sneaking glances every now and then back at her before disappearing. For reasons unknown, I felt this urge form in my gut that made me want to punch something, or rather someone. Maybe a someone who is older than me and is a worker at this very school.
I frown at this sudden urge and look back at Mays, wondering how she is feeling. Maybe she didn't see the hints he dropped? If so, it'll be easier for her. However, I see her distressed look and her shaking hands as she holds them up in front of her face. I see the way her lips tremble and I know she is aware of what he's doing.
Crap. I'm feeling angry again. Angry that someone has the audacity to make a person so uncomfortable. And why is she not doing anything about it if she notices? How long has this been going on? Why am I even questioning this? It's none of my business and I don't care about her...right?
Ah crap. What is this? What did that small and unfortunate meeting at the hallway yesterday do?
After shaking out of my thoughts, I see Daniela climb up the steps towards the building with students flocking around her and I keep my focus on her back. Just what is she hiding? Is she honestly the person who she portrays to be here at school? Or is there, maybe, something more to her?
She turns around suddenly and looks at me and I take this moment to truly look at her. Her eyes are missing that usual sparkle that I see in most people. Did she always have it dimmed? Her smile is fake but the one she gives me looks more broken and defeated than any I have ever seen.
How can she still smile? What the heck is this girl hiding? Doesn't she have it all? Then what despair did she face or is facing to have such a smile and look on her face?
Before I can detect anymore, she turns away and leaves with me wondering what she is keeping on the down low. Is there something more to her? Is she not the person I think she is?
Shoot...she is so freaking confusing. What the heck?! Someone of her caliber shouldn't be so hard to figure out. She's supposed to be some cliché rich girl who cries when she doesn't get her way or throws a fit when her nail breaks. But there's more to her. She's not like that at all. At least, the look on her face said it all.
The bell rings drawing me out of my thoughts and I jolt back to the present. I realize I'm the only one out of the school building save a few students who stare at me with weird glances. I just shrug and move past them, climbing up the stairs and heading towards my first class, AP Calculus. Let's do this.
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Walking down the empty hallways with my lunch bag in hand, I make my way towards the music room, my usual hideout during lunch period.
As I'm walking, I drown myself in my music from my earphones. Fall Out Boys is blasting through.
I casually glance around and spot Mays sitting behind a desk with signup sheets in front of her. A lot of the student body is flocked around her, asking questions on what it is for and other pointless questions.
I roll my eyes and continue heading to my destination- the music room. Pulling the door open and nodding at the teacher in there, I walk towards the back and plop myself down, leaving my lunch in front of me and grabbing a piece of paper from my backpack.
I begin working on my music as I tone down Fall Out Boys and focus more on the melody oozing out of me.
I always get lost in my own little world when I write down notes on a simple piece of paper. It's like I'm adding just a little part of me whenever I do so. I become engulfed into something warm and peaceful and all else fades away.
As I write down the notes to the song, I begin thinking of lyrics that can work. But, how do I know which ones work? Plus, they have to hold deep meaning. There's no point in making a song with empty lyrics.
Before I can get anymore thoughts in, the end of lunch period rings and jolts me out of my thoughts for a second time that day.
As I gather my belongings, I realize I am alone in the music room. When did the teacher leave? I shake my head and walk out, making sure the door is closed behind me.
As I walk down the hallway to get to my next class, I'm joined by Laney who is panting as she tries to catch her breath.
"H-hey Ash-ton," she manages to choke out as she stays bent forward with her hands on her knees.
"Laney," I acknowledge her with a raised brow. "What are you up to?"
"Um, well, I'm trying not to get in trouble although someone else is," she answers as she looks behind her. I frown.
"Why? What did you do? And who?" I demand, knowing full well how much trouble Laney usually gets in because she can never stick in her lane.
"I...might have spied on a creepy looking teacher as he pulled Daniela Mays in a classroom," she answers nervously as she keeps looking from me back to the hallway she ran out from. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise before an unsettling feeling boils in my gut.
"Which classroom?" I demand in a cold voice. Laney's eyes widen as she then grabs my hand and pulls me towards the direction. I let her lead since I don't know the way but I would probably have been there by now if I was alone with that knowledge.
"Come on Mr. Reys! I'm going to be late. Please! I did everything you want me to do!" I suddenly hear a female voice exclaim with stress in it.
"Not quite Daniela," the male purrs. I feel sick to my stomach. "You have to do something extra for trying to run away when I stepped out for a little bit," he adds. By this time, Laney stops us at an empty hallway full of empty classrooms.
Laney ducks down and pulls me along with her so only our eyes and top part of our heads are peeking upwards into the classroom. The same male teacher I saw this morning with Mays is here again, holding onto her wrist while tugging her towards the desk.
I have to do something. This is disastrous! He's doing something illegal in school! But I can't do anything at the moment because he hasn't harmed her yet or forced himself upon her either. I have to wait. So that's what I do even if I don't want to.
Now you might be confused as to why I'm trying to help Mays when I clearly stated that I can't stand people of her caliber. Well, it's true that I don't like them, but even so, I'm not some douche who will let something like this happen if I witness it or know of it occurring. I still have a conscious.
"But Mr. Reys. M-my mom needs me to finish accomplishing some things for the Ball," Daniela tries again as she fights against his grip.
"I saw you doing your job in the morning and during lunch. Surely you should be done already. After all, with your beauty and your high status you can get anything you want," the teacher begins as I watch his grip tighten on Mays. Her yelp is what angers me even more.
Why won't she fight him? Why is she just letting herself be pulled? Why won't she do anything? Oh right, she's a princess. She doesn't fight. She can't fight. She's weak and...
Before I can think anymore, my eyes widen as I witness Daniela pulling back harshly, catching the unsuspecting teacher by surprise. He stumbles forward and lets go of her hand in the process to maintain balance.
Daniela uses this opportunity to run but he catches her wrist again and she trips and falls backwards. I wince. This is why girls shouldn't wear heels. It looks like she landed on her ankle.
I watch as she tries to break free but he's holding onto her. I can't take it anymore and am about to go but I look at Laney and see her recording the whole thing. This is good. Let her catch this so when we help Mays, we have proof that this teacher is a pedophile and unprofessional and unfit to be around.
"Let go!" screams Daniela as fear is evident in her eyes and voice. I feel for her actually and it pains me to see her like this. That's not what I'm supposed to see on her face. Tears start welling in her eyes before falling as she tries to scoot away from the older male.
"I don't mean to hurt you Daniela. Just come with me and that's it," the teacher is saying as he advances towards her slowly. "No one has to know."
"No, no, go away!" she screams more as she becomes trapped between a cabinet and the teacher.
Before he touches her though, she grabs her heel off her foot and slams it into his thigh and he screams and falls backwards. Daniela scrambles up and that's when I take it as my cue. I stand up and rush inside just as the teacher tries to grab her yet again.
I pull Daniela behind me as she clutches the back of my shirt and I kick the teacher's hand away as Laney trails in, still recording.
"You sick bachelor!" I ground as I keep a protective hand out to keep Daniela safe. I hear her shaky breaths and feel the heat on my neck and I fight against the shiver that threatens to come.
"What are you doing?" booms the teacher as he glances at us. "Turn that thing off!" he shouts at Laney but she only takes a step back and shakes her head. "Turn it off!" he screams as he starts to stand up and Daniela yelps and tightens her grip on me, if that's possible.
"Laney, you're done with that. Run to the principal and show it to him," I tell her smoothly as I keep the teacher at bay and out of reach of both girls. Laney looks at me while the teacher, Mr. Reys, yells profanities and threats towards us if we don't hand it over.
By this time, I'm walking backwards slowly with Daniela following my lead, until we are out of the classroom, the teacher still on the ground, clutching his thigh where Daniela pierced him with her heel.
I slam the door shut and pound the door knob so it falls off. Now he's stuck inside. Then I face Daniela who is hugging herself and keeping her head down, one heel on and the other resting on the ground next to her.
"Hey, are you okay?" I ask her as I slowly approach her. "Did he hurt you too bad?" I rephrase when I see her giving me a disbelieved look.
"N-no," she finally stammers in response and I frown, glancing down at her ankle. It's a little swollen. Hopefully it's not broken.
"Let's get you to the nurse's office," I tell her as I reach for her elbow but she flinches and pulls back as do I.
"I'm okay. Don't worry about me. You don't really care do you?" she snaps and my eyes widen in surprise. What did she just say? She must realize what she just said because she averts her gaze and apologizes. "I'm sorry. Just...I appreciate what you did, honestly. I...I don't know what else could have happened. But...but don't force yourself to get out of your comfort zone. I know this isn't what you usually do Hallway Boy," she amends as she looks at me from under her lashes.
I am practically gaping at her when she says that. But before either of us can say anymore, Laney comes running towards us with the school's nurse and principle behind her.
"I got them!" she exclaims and I see Daniela pursing her lips and slipping her other heel on. What is she doing? That's not going to help her.
"What in heavens name is going on here?!" demands the principle, Mr. Bates, while panting from his run.
"Noth--," begins Daniela when I cut in.
"The teacher in there was manhandling Daniela here," I say and I see her eyes and mouth widen.
"What man?!" demands the principle. I gesture towards the classroom and the principle stocks there and he sucks in a breath.
"Oh sweet heavens," he mutters as he shakes his head. "Is there any proof?" he asks. Laney nods her head and steps forward, bringing her phone out and showing him the video.
Mr. Bates's face is practically the color of a fiery jalapeño by the time the video ends and he faces Daniela with an apologetic look.
"I am so incredibly sorry Miss Mays. I shall speak to the authorities of this. I'll also call your parents and inform them of such matters. I had no idea," he tells her with remorse laced in his tone.
"No, no please don't sir. If you tell them, not only will I be pulled out of this school, but you will lose your job because, according to them if they find out, you weren't doing your job on monitoring the students. It would not be your fault because no one knew of this but me," Daniela pleads as she steps forward, hiding her wince.
"But this is a serious crime, especially against you. My job was, no is, to monitor the students yet here he was, manhandling you," he answers in a dejected tone.
"Mr. Bates. This was the first time he ever did something like this. I promise. Don't berate yourself. You are a fabulous principal and I'm not just saying this to appear like a suck-up because I'm not. I mean it. This school is always so successful because of you. That's the reason why I chose this school," Daniela assures him and I can only stare in shock at her.
This is a side I have never expected from her. Is this who Daniela Mays truly is? Or is this simply a mask? I don't know with her anymore. I thought I had her figured out, but how wrong I am. I don't know her at all!
Mr. Bates sighs and runs a hand stressfully through his hair. "Okay, okay. I'll deal with Mr. Reys personally. You go with Wanda to the nurse's station and have her check up on you. Then come to my office, along with you two, and we'll discuss more about this," he finishes as he points to me and Laney. All three of us nod before he shoos us away and we walk to our respective locations. Laney and I follow the path to the principal's office while Daniela follows Wanda to the nurse's station with a limp in her step. Before we all go our separate ways though, Daniela looks at us two and flashes us a small smile.
"Thank you for your help. I mean it," she says before following the nurse further away.
"Daniela is something else, isn't she?" whispers Laney once we make our way to our next class.
"She really is," I agree absentmindedly but I don't miss the smug look Laney gives me. I just roll my eyes and focus on what I just saw. How is she still not crying? Or rather, how was she still able to smile through all that?
I swear this girl will give me grey hair before I finish my latest music. Wait a second... This just gave me a brilliant idea for my new music! Huh, not only did I see a new side to Mays, but she just inspired me. Guess the unexpected always happens in life.
Just as we are about to enter our class, the bell rings and Laney and I look at each other before sprinting towards the principal's office and waiting for him to come in along with Daniela.
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Alrighty. Finally a longer chapter for Ashton's P.O.V lol. And as you could see, that was quite some action. What did you think about the manhandling Mr. Reys did? He finally cracked right?
Also, what did you think of Daniela's actions after it all happened? Do you agree with Ashton when he says she shouldn't be smiling after that episode? What do you think of her as a person? And what do you think of Ashton's confusion? Lastly, what do you think will happen next?
Thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, do comment and vote below. I love seeing all the new reads and votes :)
Anyway, that's all I gotta say for today. Have a great day/night and I'll see y'all next week with a new update hopefully!
~Moni~